Falling For You
by wowstars
Summary: Its the police charity ball and the whole CID have to go. Could this be the start of something special for Gene & Alex? Or will it all go horribly wrong? My first fanfic! Post Series 1
1. Chapter 1

**Hi guys :) This is my first FanFic so be nice as I'm only 13 and in bottom set English ;) Which also means I am quite slow at writing. Enjoy xxxx**

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Chapter One

Alex watched as Gene slammed the phone down, downing his glass of scotch in one mouthful. He stood up, kicking his desk, and came out of office.

"Right you lot," he shouted, scowling. "As you probably already know, it's the time of year that the supers like to hold a Police Charity Ball. And as not one person from this department went last year, this year we all have to go." Everyone groaned except Alex, who looked excited.

"What's wrong with going to it?" She asked. "It sounds fun."

Gene smiled sarcastically. "Oh it's bloody great fun," he said. "You want to know why? The chief superintendent, who organises it, doesn't bloody drink! In fact, he so against it that nobody else is allowed a bastard drink either!"

"What, so you can't even bring your own booze?" Alex asked.

"Not a bloody drop!" Gene said angrily.

Alex sighed. "You don't need alcohol to have a good time," she said. Laughter and mutters of "Typical bloody women" filled the room. Alex rolled her eyes, carrying on with filling in the forms scattered across her desk. Gene turned to go back into his office then realised he'd missed something.

"Oh, by the way," he spat. "The super expects us all to have bloody dates!" He slammed the door to his office, sitting down behind his desk and pouring himself a large scotch. Alex wondered who she would go with, and immediately thought of Gene. Would he want to go with her? As friends of course. _Probably not_, she thought, _he's probably going to go with some random person he meets in Luigi's the night before. And what am I going to wear? The only decent dress I have is that hooker outfit, and I don't think that would go down too well._

"You need to get a decent suit baby," Shaz was saying to Chris.

"What wrong with the one I've already got?" He asked, flicking bits of paper around the room.

"Everything," she said. "It's awful. It stinks of cigarettes and old sweat and looks like it's been at the bottom of the Thames for years. Get a proper suit."

"Ok, ok," he said, giving in. "But I'm not spending loads on it. I don't bloody wear suits."

Shaz grinned and kissed him on the cheek, going back to her desk. Alex smiled. She didn't know what it was like to be in love, real love anyway. Her bastard of and ex-husband had buggered of with another woman and left her with a six month old baby. She sighed, looking over at Gene. She didn't know why, but whenever she looked at him she got this funny feeling in the pit of her stomach. A soft, warm feeling that made her feel on top of the world. She chose to ignore these feelings, scared of what they could mean. She finished filling in the forms, wondering whether or not to give them to Gene now. She stood up and knocked on Gene's office's door.

"Come in," he said, not looking up. She walked in, shutting the door behind her and placing the forms on his desk. He looked up. "You feeling a bit better now bolls?" He said. "You're not going to run off crying again are you?"

"No, gov," she said, smiling. She hadn't been the happiest of people recently. Every time she thought of them she just wanted to curl up into a ball and sob her heart out. She could still feel the heat as Evan's car had erupted into flames, shooting fire through the blue sky, taking her parents with it.

He smiled back at her. "Good," he said. "What do you think about this Police Charity do then Bollyknickers?" He leaned back in his chair.

"I, erm, think it's a good idea, shame about the booze though," she said. She looked down. "Do you, erm, have any idea who you're going with yet?"

He looked at her, hiding a smirk. _She can't resist the Gene Genie_, he thought to himself. "No," he said. "Have you?"

"Maybe," she said, flashing a smile that made his insides melt.

"And are you going to tell Uncle Gene who you have in mind?" He said.

She smirked. "Hmmm… no," she said, turning around, hesitating slightly to give him a full view of her arse, and walking back to her desk.

He smiled to himself, wondering who she was going to ask. _Probably not me_, he thought, _but who else is there that she can go with? Raymondo?_ Somehow, he didn't think that was likely. Alex wouldn't enjoy an evening of getting felt up by someone with a moustache and a perm, she would like something romantic. The second he thought that he realised how much of a poof he sounded. He decided to go beat up some scum to make him feel less poofy. He stood up, walking out of his office.

"Right, let's go interview that bastard from cell three, come on bolls," he said. She stood up, smiling at him.

They walked into the interview room and sat down. Jason Toffing, the criminal, was already in there, smoking and trying to make himself look as hard as possible. He was 34 years old, had shiny black hair that fell into his face whenever he moved his head, which meant that he was constantly blowing his hair out of his face. He wasn't very tall and was very pale, with a face like a bulldog chewing a wasp.

"Jason Toffing," Alex said, frowning as she read his file.

"Yeah, that's me," he said, scowling as he blew smoke in her face, making her cough.

She took a sip of coffee. "You're in here on suspicion of assaulting a pensioner."

"That's right, but you've got no proof, so I don't think I'll be here long." His voice was squeaky, like a teenager whose voice had just broken.

"It seems this isn't the first time you've been here," Alex said. "In January last year you were arrested for robbing the post office on Meverson Lane but weren't charged. Earlier this year you were fined for dangerous driving and in August you were fined for cycling around London naked."

He rolled his eyes. "Didn't do the first one, and I've never been fined in my life so I didn't do the others either," he said.

"But you did knock a pensioner out with a cricket bat," Alex said.

He leant forwards, smirking. "You have no proof to say that I did."

"We've got witnesses. The pensioner said it was you as well. We've got all the proof we need," she said.

"And if we need any more we can conveniently find it," Gene said.

"You can't do that," Jason said, looking worried.

"Oh can't we," Gene said, smirking at him.

"I want a lawyer," he said, shaking slightly.

"And I want my DI to start talking sense but we all know that's not going to happen," Gene said, rolling up his sleeves, standing up and throwing Jason into the wall, pinning his arm behind his back. He squeaked in pain.

"Did you or did you not assault Tracy Newson?" Alex asked, used to Gene's behaviour by now.

"No," he said, raising his voice slightly. Gene smashed him into the wall again.

"Tell the bloody truth!" He shouted.

"NO!" Jason screamed. Gene spun him round, kneeing him in-between his legs. He groaned.

"Allow me to ask you again," Alex said. "Did you or did you not assault Tracy Newson?"

"Yes!" He shouted, his voice even higher now. "I did it! It was me!"

Gene threw him on the floor, kicking him hard in the stomach. "Scum," he muttered before leaving the room, Alex following closely behind.

They entered CID, which was quiet, only the sounds of Chris making paper aeroplanes and Ray on the phone asking someone to the Charity thing. Alex sat at her desk, watching Gene as he walked into his office, her heart fluttering in her chest. _Damn you Gene Hunt_, she thought. Why did he make her feel like this? She didn't have a clue. _It's probably just my subconscious messing with my head_, she thought.

"Ma'am? Ma'am?" Shaz said, waving her hand about in front of Alex's face. Alex jumped.

"Wha- Sorry Shaz, I was miles away," she said, smiling and laughing softly.

"It's ok," Shaz said, smiling. "Do you know who you're going to the Police Ball with yet?"

She quickly looked at Gene, then back at Shaz. "No," she said, shaking her head. "I don't know who I'm going to go with."

"You should go with the gov," Shaz said.

"Nah, he wouldn't want to go with me," Alex said, shaking her head.

"Yes he would," Shaz said, grinning at her. "You should ask him, the worst he can do is say no."

Alex smiled. "I'll think about it," she said, but she now knew that he was the person she wanted to go with.

* * *

The rest of the day passed quickly, and everyone was now making their way down to Luigi's. Alex walked into Gene's office.

"You coming to Luigi's?" She asked, smiling.

"Yes," he grumbled, standing up and getting his coat.

"Erm, Gene," Alex said. Gene froze, she never called him Gene. He looked at her; she was looking down, trying not to look at him.

"What?" He said, his voice softer than usual. He cursed, hoping she hadn't noticed.

"You know the Police Charity thing," she said, still looking down. "Would you, erm, like to go with me? As friends of course." She added quickly. She looked up, immediately losing herself in his beautiful blue eyes.

He tried his best not to smile, failing miserably.

"Ok," he said. "I can reconnect my phone now; I had to unplug it because it wouldn't stop ringing with people wanting to go with me." He smirked.

"Yeah right," she said, smiling.

He smiled back at her. "Cheeky mare," he said, turning the lights in his office off and walking with her out of CID.

They arrived at Luigi's, sitting at their usual table in the corner, Alex with red wine and Gene with a pint. Gene was sitting closer to Alex than usual, actually listening to her. She saw him looking at her.

"What?" She said, looking into his eyes.

"Nothing," he said, looking away and taking a big gulp of beer. She smirked, taking a sip of her wine.

Three hours, five bottles of wine and eleven pints later, Gene and Alex were the only ones left in Luigi's. Luigi came up to them in his pyjamas.

"Signor Hunt, Signorina Drake. It is very late," he said, attempting to take their drinks away. Alex's grip tightened on her glass.

"We're having fun, Luigi," Alex squealed, hiccoughing.

"Yes Luigi, we're having fun, you should try it sometime," Gene said and Luigi rolled his eyes, sighing. "Get us another bloody drink," Gene slurred.

"Me too," Alex said, giggling. "In fact, get me a double, triple scotch." She fell about laughing. Gene chuckled softly as Luigi went and got them their drinks, muttering to himself. He came back.

"I go to bed now," he said, putting down their drinks and going upstairs, leaving them alone together. Alex took a big gulp of scotch.

"Since when have you liked whiskey?" Gene asked, frowning. She put her glass down, swaying.

"Since I came here. Be- because..." She trailed off, losing herself in his eyes.

"Because what Bolly?" He asked.

She quickly thought of something. "Because... I'd never tried it before I came here." She grinned, happy that she'd come up with something believable.

He smirked. He knew she was lying, but didn't ask her about it anymore. They finished their drinks. "Where's bloody Luigi?" Gene slurred. "Luigi! Get us some bloody drinks!" He shouted as Alex collapsed in a fit of giggles. Luigi didn't reply. He was tucked up in bed, fast asleep.

"I've got booze upstairs," Alex said, smirking. "You can come up for a quick drink if you want."

He looked into her eyes, wondering what she was thinking. "Ok," he said, standing up and swaying slightly. "Lead the way DI Bollyknickers."

She grinned, standing up too. They stumbled drunkenly up the stairs and finally got into her flat. She went to get the drinks and he leant back on the sofa.

She came back with their drinks. "Here," she said, giving him his and sitting down. "This is all I have; I must have drunk it all." She giggled madly, swallowing a mouthful of wine.

He took a sip of his, almost choking on it. "This is Luigi's bleeding house rubbish, isn't it?" He said, coughing.

"Yep," she said, grinning. "Nice, isn't it?"

"Oh yeah, it's bloody brilliant," he said sarcastically. Alex laughed. Gene loved it when she laughed; it took his breath away every time. He smiled at her and she smiled back, getting that warm, soft feeling in her stomach again. She wanted nothing else but for him to hold her in his arms. The second she thought this she thought about how inappropriate it would be. _We wouldn't last 5 minutes anyway_, she thought, _we argue too much. But maybe that would change?_ She doubted it.

They finished their drinks and Gene stood up. "Right, I'll be leaving you in peace Bolls," he said, swaying slightly as he walked to the door.

"I don't think so," she said, jumping to her feet. "You're staying here tonight."

He raised an eyebrow, smirking. "Is that a promise Bolly?" He asked.

She tried to look serious but couldn't help smiling. "No, you're too drunk to drive," she said. "You can sleep on the sofa."

He sighed. "Ok," he said, walking back towards the sofa. She smiled at him.

"The bathroom's through the bedroom," she said, going into the bedroom. He followed, going into the bathroom as she started to remove her jewellery.

Ten minutes later Gene came out of the bathroom wearing only his vest and boxers and immediately noticing Alex's extremely short black nightdress. He looked up to find Alex looking him up and down. Hiding a smirk, he looked into Alex's eyes. She had gone slightly red and smiled at him. "Night," he said softly.

"Night," she said too. "If you need an extra blanket just ask."

"Thanks," he said, leaving her room and going to the bed she had laid out for him. He climbed in, instantly noticing how much the sheets smelt like her and inhaling deeply, lost in her scent. _Stop acting like a poof_, he told himself, still sniffing the sheets. He got comfortable, holding the sheets close, and closed his eyes, convincing himself that she was lying there next to him, drifting into a peaceful and dreamless sleep.

Alex came out of the bathroom and peeked through her bedroom door to see if Gene was asleep yet. She frowned, seeing him fast asleep with the sheets pressed against his face, then smiled. _He's even more beautiful when he's asleep_, she thought, staring at him. She turned and got into bed, pulling the sheets over her as it was a cold night, wishing that Gene was there next to her.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hi guys, sorry I take so long, I'm a slow writer! Enjoy xxx**

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Chapter 2

_She opened her eyes but couldn't see a thing. She was trapped in a box of some sort; she couldn't get out so she began to struggle. On the outside of the box she could hear the sounds of people talking and a child sobbing uncontrollably._

_"... She will be missed. She was such a good person. So intelligent. So happy. I can't believe she's gone," someone was saying._

_"There you go, Molls, dry your eyes," someone else was saying. "Just remember, your mum loves you. And I'm sure wherever she is now she is thinking about you."_

_"I just hope they catch the bastard that did it," a woman said. "To take the life of another human being, it's unforgiveable. It's awful to think he's still out there. They need to catch him. Alex's poor daughter…"_

Alex woke with a start, breathing heavily. Cold sweat was dripping from every inch of her body, causing the sheets to stick to her body. She put her head in her hands, frowning slightly as she got a whiff of sweat, fighting back the tears. _It's only a dream_, she told herself. _You're alive; you can still get back to Molly._

"Alex?" Her head snapped up. _Shit_, she thought. She had forgotten that Gene had slept on her sofa the night before. He was now stood in the doorway, looking concerned. "Are you ok?"

"Yeah," she said quickly. "I'm… I'm fine." Her voice broke and she bit her lip hard to stop the tears from flowing. She looked away.

"Are you sure?" He asked, frowning. "You can tell the Gene Genie." She smiled weakly.

"I was just a dream," she said. He looked at the sheets.

"Are you sure you didn't forget to use the bathroom before you went to bed, DI Bollyknickers?" He said, grinning. She couldn't help smiling and threw a pillow at him.

"Bastard," she muttered, laughing. He caught the pillow in one hand and threw it back at her, hitting her in the face. He chuckled softly as she fell backwards, giggling.

"I'll get you back for that," she said, grinning and picking up the pillow, attempting to hit him again. He caught it and grinned, pleased with himself, not noticing that Alex had picked up another pillow and it was now flying through the air towards his face. It hit him hard, taking him by surprise. Alex fell about laughing as feathers exploded everywhere, burying Gene beneath them.

She climbed out of bed, walking over the heap of feathers and kneeling down next to it, carefully moving the feathers out of Gene's face and grinning at him. He smiled back, sitting up. She stood up, offering him a hand to help him up. He took it, smirking.

"Corr, you stink Bolls," he said. She shoved him playfully.

"Don't be bloody cheeky," she said, grinning. "I'm going to have a shower." She walked off into the bathroom.

"Want me to join you?" He asked, smirking. _In my dreams_, he thought.

She looked at him, biting her lip. "Ok then," she said, looking him up and down then laughing as his eyes lit up. "I'm joking." She went into the bathroom, locking the door behind her.

_Bloody woman_, Gene thought, trying to remember where he had put his clothes. After about ten minutes he found them.

"Gene!" Alex screamed from the bathroom, sounding terrified.

"What?" Gene shouted back, frowning, slightly worried.

"Come here!" She said. Gene walked into the bathroom, confused.

"What's up Bollyknickers?" He said, looking around the bathroom. She was stood there wearing only a towel, her hair still dripping wet. Her expression was horrified and she was pointing at the tiniest spider Gene had ever seen in his life. "A spider?" He asked incredulously.

"Just get rid of it," she said, looking away and closing her eyes. He smirked, picking up the spider and opening the window, putting the spider on the ledge then closing it again.

"You know, I think that was the biggest spider I have ever seen," he said sarcastically, grinning.

"Shut up," she said, looking down. He smirked, walking out of the bathroom to put his suit on.

"I wasn't that scared," Alex said on the drive to work, looking out of the window. "Of that spider. I just…" She trailed off, unable to think of anything to say.

"You just wanted me to see you standing there, dripping wet, wearing only a towel?" Gene said, smirking.

"Yes- No- I don't know," she stammered, trying not to look at him.

"So you were either scared shitless or just wanted me to see you half naked. Which one is it going to be?" He asked.

"Scared shitless," she mumbled, fiddling with her nails. He grinned.

"The fearless Alex Drake is scared of tiny spiders!" He laughed. She scowled at him. "Don't worry bolls, I won't tell anyone. Maybe." He flashed a smile and Alex couldn't help but smile back.

"Thanks," she said softly. "By the way, you never told me when the ball is."

"Oh, it's on Friday night," he said, pulling up outside CID.

"Friday night! It's Thursday today!" She said, panicking. "I don't have anything to wear, I need a haircut, I need some-" Gene cut her off, frowning.

"Bloody hell Bolls, chill out," he said, looking at her. "You've got a whole bloody day to find something to wear. Anyway, you could go in a bin liner and still look better than anyone else on this planet." He got out of the car, leaving Alex sat in the passenger seat, her mouth hanging open. Gene Hunt, for the first time, had _complimented _her. _My god, _she thought, _he must still be pissed from last night, he would never say something like that when he's sober._

"Bolly! Get a ruddy bloody move on!" Gene shouted. "I've seen snails faster than you." She sighed, getting out of the car.

They walked in together, smiling. Chris looked down when he saw them, unable to hide a grin as he saw Gene wearing the same clothes as the day before. Ray just shook his head, smirking. Alex sat down at her desk, looking through the pile of arrest forms on her desk.

"Good night ma'am?" Shaz asked, typing up some reports.

"Yes thanks Shaz," Alex said, smiling, not realising what she had meant. Shaz grinned and Alex frowned. "What?"

"You and the gov," Shaz said, smiling at her. "I'm glad to see you're finally together."

"What?" Alex asked incredulously. "He just got too pissed to drive home and had to sleep on my sofa, Shaz. We're not sleeping together."

"Oh," Shaz said, biting her lip. "Sorry ma'am."

Alex didn't reply, she was too busy thinking about what Shaz had just said. _"I'm glad you're finally together", _she thought, _what's that supposed to mean? We don't flirt _that _much, do we? _She looked into Gene's office, the feeling in her stomach coming again. He was staring into space, cigarette in one hand and a glass of whiskey in the other. He looked at her and she looked away quickly, going slightly red. Gene chuckled to himself. "Bloody woman," he said to himself, sighing.

The day passed without much happening again, just the odd drunk or homeless person looking for a bed for the night. Alex got her coat, said goodnight to her colleagues and hit the shops, wondering if she would find something that Gene would like.

"_Wear something slutty." That's what he always tells me, _she thought, looking through the sale racks. _I'm not wearing something too slutty; the whole point of having a date is that they're the only ones that get to look up your dress. Not that I want Gene to do that, I just don't like the idea of anyone else doing it. _She eventually found a strappy red dress that would hug her curves and show off her figure perfectly. It was quite low cut at the front so Gene would like it, she already had the perfect bag for it _and _it was cheap. She paid for it and went to find some shoes. She bought some black stiletto heels and then went to a nearby cafe for a coffee. She sat down, sipping her latté, reading through that day's newspaper. There wasn't much in it, just a few bits about the government and several articles attacking the MET. She folded the newspaper up, drinking the last of her coffee, and made her way home, stopping at an off-licence for some booze and a hip flask.

Alex flopped down onto the sofa, exhausted. She closed her eyes for a bit, relaxing. She had nearly fallen asleep when the phone rang. She got up to answer it.

"Hello?" She said. No reply. She put the phone down, only for it to start ringing again the second she let go. "Hello?" She said, getting slightly annoyed.

"You bitch, you horrible slag," a harsh voice said. "I'm going to get you for this, you and your new bloke. I've seen you with him, I can see you all the time. I can see you right now. I'm coming for you." Alex swallowed, sweat appearing on her forehead.

"This is DI Alex Drake, what do you want with me?" She said, her voice wobbly.

"What?" The voice said, sounding shocked. "Oh god, I'm really sorry, love. Must have the wrong number. I thought you were Sarah." He hung up. Alex stared at the phone for several minutes, her mouth open. She snapped out of it when there was a loud knock at the door. It was Gene.

"Alright Bolls?" He asked, smiling. She smiled back.

"Yeah," she said. "Come in." He went over to the sofa, sitting down.

"What's this Bolls?" He said, picking up the bags with her dress and shoes in it. She snatched the off him.

"You can't see them yet," she said, putting her bags in her bedroom.

"Ah, will I see them tomorrow night?" He asked, smirking.

"Yes," she replied.

"Blimey, Bolly," he said, grinning. "You've got me on a promise already."

"What?" She said, puzzled. "All I said is that you'll see them tomorrow, because I'll be wearing them to the ball."

"Oh," he said, looking away. _Shit_, he thought. He'd been convinced she'd bought some new underwear. "So, are we going to have a drink or what?" He smiled, leaning back on the sofa. She went and got them both a scotch, smiling to herself as she did so, wondering why he had come to see her.

She gave him his drink. "That's all you're having," she said firmly. "You had more last night than that bloke in cell 5 has in a year."

He chuckled. "Give it a rest Bolls," he said. "I won't be having a drink tomorrow night, so I am having at least two tonight." He drank all his scotch in one big mouthful, grinning at her. She sighed.

"Ok then," she said. "But you're only having two." She went and got him another. He drank it slower this time, knowing that when he finished it he would have to go. They sat there together, talking about CID, the ball, football, things like that. As they were talking, she realised just how much she enjoyed his company and how he seemed to enjoy it too, listening to her, making little jokes, hanging onto her every word. Eventually he stood up to leave.

"I'd better be going," he said.

"Yeah," she replied. "Big night tomorrow." _And hopefully a late one too_, she thought, immediately regretting thinking that because of the images that flashed into her mind. She smiled at Gene, opening the door for him.

"Night Bolls," he said, smiling.

"Night," she said softly, watching him as he went down the steps. She went back into her flat, locking her door, hanging up her dress, and getting ready for bed. She was brushing her teeth, trying her hardest to keep her eyes open, when she noticed something on the floor. It's was a scrunched up bit of paper. She picked it up, putting it in her nightshirt pocket. _I'll look what's on it when I'm in bed,_ she thought, _I can't stand up any more, I'll fall asleep!_

She climbed into bed, pulling the ball of paper out of her pocket. She smoothed it out, squinting to try and make out what was on it. She could see a drawing of her and Gene, both with huge smiles on their faces. In the background was the Quattro, ribbon tied to the front. There was something written on the front windscreen but she couldn't make out what it said. Gene was wearing a suit with a rose pinned to his blazer. Alex was wearing a long puffy dress, a wedding dress, with a low cut front showing lots of cleavage. _Typical Gene_, she thought, _showing off my cleavage._ She looked at the picture again, suddenly realising exactly what he had drawn. She laid back, her heart melting, and fell into a deep sleep, dreaming about what he had drawn.


	3. Chapter 3

**Sorry for such a slow update. I had a lot to sort out. Hope you like it, enjoy xxx**  


* * *

Chapter 3

Alex woke up the next morning, full of life. She was so excited! She pinned Gene's doodle on her notice board, getting light headed every time she looked at it. _Tonight's the night_, she thought, grinning to herself. She got dressed and almost skipped to CID, humming a pleasant tune as she did so.

Everyone in CID was excited as well. Ray was boasting about the size of his date's tits, Shaz was grinning like a Cheshire cat and telling everyone about her dress and Chris was practising his moves for the dance floor. Gene, although he tried his best to hide it, was excited too. Whenever he looked at Alex he couldn't help grinning and had to look away so she didn't see. He didn't argue with her once, listened to her opinions and theories and looked at her face rather than her arse.

The day passed quickly, nothing really happening except a few burglaries and a woman called Sarah Selkston reported missing, and before long everyone was going home to get ready for the ball.

"I'll pick you up at seven, Bollykecks," Gene said to her on his way out.

"Ok," she said, walking home.

* * *

She got into her flat, looking at her watch. _Five thirty_, she thought, _that gives me an hour and a half to get ready. Not nearly enough time, but oh well._ She went into the bathroom, having a shower and washing her hair. She then did her makeup, putting on her David Bowie LP. She smiled as The Jean Genie came on, humming along as she applied her bright red lipstick that matched the colour of her dress. Drying her hair, her eyes fell on Gene's drawing. She still couldn't believe it. She finished her hair, spraying it with half a can of hairspray to keep her curls in place, and went to put on her dress.

* * *

Gene got home had a shower. He then put on his new suit and tux. He had gone out and bought it the second he knew he was going with Alex as he thought she deserved the best, although he would never tell her that. He pulled the tag off and scrunched up the receipt, throwing them both in the bin. He'd kept them just in case Alex had found someone better to go with at the last minute and went with them instead. He put on his aftershave and shined his shoes then went into the kitchen to get the big bouquet of flowers he had bought for her. He looked longingly at the bottle of whiskey on the side, knowing that Alex would kill him if he had some since it was a non-alcoholic ball. He walked out to the Quattro, looking around to make sure nobody saw him looking like a poof with a bouquet of flowers. He got in, speeding off to Alex's flat.

* * *

Alex looked at herself in her mirror. _I hope I'm good enough for him_, she thought, smoothing down her dress and turning around so she could see the back of it. She smiled. _I think he'll like it,_ she thought, going over to her wardrobe to find her bag. She stood up, emptying all the rubbish out of it. _Perfect,_ she thought, going into the kitchen, _just the right size_. The doorbell rang and she ran to get it, knowing who it would be.

"Hi," she said, grinning as she open the door and saw Gene standing there with a beautiful bouquet of flowers in his arms. "Oh my god, are they for me?"

"No, they're for Luigi," he said sarcastically. "Of course they're for you, yer daft mare." He grinned as she took the flowers from him, sniffing them delicately.

"Oh Gene," she said, smiling. "They're wonderful. Thank you so much. Come in, I'll just put them in a vase." He followed her inside, shutting the door behind him, and sat on the sofa while she went to get a vase. She came out of the kitchen about ten minutes later with them and placed them on the coffee table, grinning happily. "There," she said, proud of herself for finding a good place to put them. "Thanks again, Gene. They're my favourites."

"No problem Bolls," he said.

"I'll just be two minutes, I just have to do something," she said, going back into the kitchen. Gene waited for her, listening to her in the kitchen. There was the sound of something spilling and a murmur of "shit" before eventually she returned, her tiny handbag bulging.

"Bloody hell, Bolls," Gene said, chuckling softly. "What've you got in there, bricks?"

"Something like that," she said, smirking and picking up her keys. "Let's go." They both walked out to the Quattro. Gene held the door open for her, making her heart beat so fast she wouldn't be surprised if he could hear it. She got in, feeling slightly light headed, and Gene got in the driver's seat, beginning to drive them to the ball.

* * *

Alex looked at Gene, her expression puzzled. "I never had you down as the sort that gives people flowers," she said.

"I'm not usually," he said truthfully, keeping his eyes on the road. "I just... wanted to."

She looked away from him, thinking about what he'd just said. _What does he mean by that?_ She thought. The car stopped.

"It's just around the corner," Gene said. "We'll walk from here."

She got out of the car, smoothing her dress. They began to walk along the pavement. Gene was walking closer to her than usual, arguing with himself about whether or not to put his arm around her. _Just do it,_ he thought, _but what if she pushes you away? You know that you'll be in an arse for the rest of the evening if she does and then she'll meet someone else._ He frowned at himself. _Gene Hunt! Stop acting like such a bloody poof,_ he told himself, _since when have you ever been scared to put your arm around a woman? You've done it before loads of times. _He hesitated slightly but then carefully placed his arm around her shoulder. He smiled as she snuggled into him. It felt so natural, like they'd practiced this moment for their entire lives. He inhaled deeply, smelling the sweet scent of her soft hair. Alex's heart had almost stopped. Gene Hunt had his arm around her! And it wasn't a dream! She sighed happily as they rounded the corner to the place the ball was being held. It had a long line of people waiting to get in and a huge banner above the doors that read 'London Police Charity Ball 1981'. They joined the line, pulling apart.

"Are we early?" Alex asked.

"No," Gene said. "They search people's bags and stuff before they let them in."

She froze, biting her lip. "Why?" She said, clutching her bag.

"A lot of people hate police officers, Bolly," he said, looking into her eyes. "It's just in case someone brings in a gun. Or a bomb. Or booze."

"Oh," Alex said, craning her neck to see how far back in the line they were. They were now only a few couples from the front and Alex could see the security searching people's bags. There was two, a big ugly looking one and a small timid looking one with a badge saying 'Trainee' on it. Alex hoped she got him.

About fifteen minutes later they were at the front of the line and, to Alex's surprise, the larger security man wasn't there. She watched as the trainee searched Gene's pockets.

"Wow! You have a Quattro!" The boy exclaimed, his eyes lighting up.

"Yeah," he said, choosing not to say something rude as Alex wouldn't be happy about it.

The boy gave Gene his keys back, carefully placing them in his hand as if they were gold. Gene shook his head, rolling his eyes, and put the rest of his stuff back in his pockets, waiting for Alex.

Alex nervously walked up to the boy, holding her bag close. Then she had an idea. _Oh Alex you beauty!_ She thought, hiding a grin. She walked around the table to when the boy was standing. He looked at her, frowning as she put her lips to his ear and whispered something that made him go as red as a cherry tomato. She nodded to him as she walked over to Gene, who was frowning.

"What the bloody hell?" He said, looking at her.

"It's nothing," she said, smirking. "Just didn't want my stuff scattered across a table for the rest of the world to see." She took his arm and they walked in together.

* * *

"Wow," Alex said softly as they entered the ball room. It was a very grand looking place and a huge chandelier hung from the ceiling. There was a large dance floor in the centre of the room with lots of different coloured lights shining on it. Lots of tables were scattered around the edges of the room and Alex could see Chris, Shaz Ray and Ray's date sat at one of them. She tugged Gene, who was looking at the table with some drinks on it, in the direction of their table and went to sit with them.

"Hi ma'am," Shaz said, grinning at her. "You look gorgeous!"

"Thanks Shaz, so do you," Alex said, smiling. She reached over and poured herself a glass of water.

"Don't know how I'm going to survive without a bloody drink for a whole night. Bloody posh buggers, not drinking! It's not normal," Gene grumbled, getting some water too. Alex sighed.

"At least try and enjoy it," she said, sipping her drink.

He scowled. "Fine," he said, drinking all his water in one big gulp and pouring himself some more. "Where's the food?" He looked around.

"Over there," Shaz said, pointing to a large table with several plates of odd looking food. Gene stood up.

"Coming Bolls?" He said, looking at her. She stood up too.

"Yeah," she said, smiling and walking over to the table with him. Gene's face screwed up.

"It looks like something that's dropped out of a donkey," he said. "It's like bloody rabbit food."

She sighed, shaking her head, the corners of her mouth automatically turning up. "That's probably because this is the vegetarian food. The meat's over here." He went slightly red, walking over to where she was standing. This was more like it. Chips, chicken, steak, all the food he loved. He picked up a plate, piling food onto it. Alex didn't eat much, her stomach was full of butterflies. She was really excited and nervous at the same time, wondering if tonight would be the night she finally managed to get somewhere with Gene, to tell him how she really felt. They walked back to the table together with their food. Alex only picked at her food even though she only had a single bread roll.

"You ok Bolls?" Gene asked, leaning closer to her so he could hear over the music.

"Yeah, just not very hungry that's all," she replied, smiling.

"Ok," he said, smiling back at her. Alex turned her attention to Chris, who was now skidding across the dance floor on his knees. It reminded her of the boys at the school discos Molly used to go to. She smiled at the thought, refusing to make it upset her. She looked back at Gene, grinning.

"Do you fancy a dance?" She asked, looking deep into his eyes.

He hesitated but then stood up, smiling. "Ok, seeing as it's you," he said as she stood up too. They walked onto the dance floor together and began to dance to OMD. Then the song changed and people started to slow dance. Alex went slightly red.

"You don't have to dance to this with me," she said, turning to go and sit down again. He caught hold of her arm, pulling her into his arms, swaying to the music.

"I want to," he said in a voice Alex had never heard him used before. It was soft, kind, almost gentle. She put her arms around his waist, resting her head on his shoulder, her breath tickling his neck. He closed his eyes, wanting this moment to last forever. He turned his head and placed a gentle kiss on the top of her head, feeling her heart beat faster against his chest. She lifted her head, looking into his eyes, looking for a sign that he wanted this too. She slowly moved her lips closer to his, their noses touching softly. She brushed his lips with hers before pressing her lips against his. He smiled into the kiss, savouring the taste of her mouth as it moved with his. Eventually the broke apart, both of them gasping for air.

"I've wanted that for so long," he admitted, looking into her beautiful hazel eyes and smiling.

"Me too," she replied, smiling. They were still swaying slightly even though the song had finished and the song playing now was very fast and almost impossible to slow dance to. "Shall we go sit down, this one's a bit fast for me."

"Yeah," he said, putting his arm around her as they walked back to the table. As they sat down they were greeted by many huge smiles and more wolf whistles and couldn't help smiling back. Gene took a sip of his water.

"Well Bolls," he said, his arm around her waist. "Tonight is definitely better than I thought it would be. Shame about the booze though."

Alex grinned, biting her lip. "Look," she said, opening her bag to reveal a small hip flask. His mouth fell open. "I... I wanted to see if you still wanted me when you were sober." She looked down. He gently lifted her head to look at him and kissed her firmly on the lips.

"I will always want you," he said softly so that only Alex could hear him.

She smiled. "And I'll always want you," she whispered. She pulled the hip flask out of her bag and poured it into Gene's glass of water. "If anyone asks what it is tell them its apple juice."

He beamed at her. "I bloody love you," he said, kissing her softly on the lips again.

"I love you too," she said, grinning.


End file.
